The Wasteland Reviewer

The Wasteland Gems: Cloverfield (2008)

How do you choose what to watch on all those streaming services you have access to? There are so many options that it is just overwhelming. These services constantly release new content and overshadow all the great films from the past that are already there and ready to watch. Now there is The Wasteland Gems! Here is a great film on streaming right now that you should check out this weekend:

Cloverfield (2008)

How big was the buzz around Cloverfield? J.J. Abrams and his whole mystery box approach to presentation certainly helped create a whole pop culture phenomenon around this found-footage horror film he was producing. Before Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and The Batman, Matt Reeves was cutting his teeth with this lean and terrifying kaiju film that took society by storm at the time. The trailers were cryptic and haunting with the horrific imagery of the Statue of Liberty’s head smashing into the streets of New York City. Provocative. Mystery. Terrifying. Those were the words swirling around this compelling new film about hitting theaters in 2008.

How does Reeves leverage the presentation of the story for horror effect? This is a compelling combination of the found-footage subgenre and the big Kaiju flicks like Godzilla. The way Reeves leverages home video footage creates an unnerving sense of scale. We are on a human level view of events when the kaiju is massive. We feel the terror and complete lack of control that the characters are experiencing. There is a fully engrossing dynamic that puts you in the shoes of these characters who have no idea what is going on or what is around the next corner. When they scale massive buildings, you feel the height and danger. When they are stuck in dark tunnels, you feel that same hesitance.

What makes Cloverfield so terrifying? Reeves does a great job of building tension and horror throughout the film. Take the kaiju for instance. We don’t get a good look at it until a while into the film. Like Jaws, the tension is so much stronger when there is still a sense of mystery. When the head of the Statue of Liberty falls to the ground, we know just how big it can possibly be…and that is terrifying. As the film reaches its climax, we witness this creature in all its glory. The kaiju design is excellent as well with its different features. The little creatures it lets loose into the streets is such a clever idea and one that is absolutely terrifying too. The effects of encountering the creatures is displayed quite clearly with a disturbingly tragic death of a beloved character. Reeves pulls no punching and delivers an onslaught of terror over the course of this 85-minute film.

But will you care over the course of this cinematic experience? Screenwriter Drew Goddard accomplishes something that many films like this struggle to do. Cloverfield has a crew of empathetic characters who we care about and get behind. T.J. Miller’s Hud is the one carrying the camera the whole time and we quickly understand who he is and his character limitations. The opening sequence of the film is a party that is so efficient at crafting these characters and building empathy. Mike Vogel’s Jason is the closest thing we have, a protagonist who is desperately trying to get to the love of his life in this wild and horrific situation. Where you might question the recklessness in another film, the drive to protect your loved ones is the biggest driving force for this group of friends. Lizzy Caplan is a huge standout here with a great performance and plenty of empathy and charisma.

Can the hype be too big? There are certainly films with huge reputations that leave you questioning all the praise and hype around them. Cloverfield is not one of those films. You have one of the best directors of his generation in Reeves leading the way. Goddard has proven to be such a talented and engaging writer. A strong crew of characters and a pitch perfect combo of found footage and kaiju films are so effective in crafting such a uniquely and exciting prospect.

Cloverfield is streaming on Paramount+.